The matchup tonight between the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks highlights the struggles of both teams, particularly the Pelicans who are dealing with significant injury issues.

New Orleans has six players sidelined, including key contributors like Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have their own concerns with Luka Doncic's questionable status due to a knee contusion.

This game marks the start of their regular season series, which was evenly contested last year.